3 ANIMALS THAT HIBERNATE IN WINTER SKIN

Bears, on the other hand, experience less severe changes (their body temperature stays within 12 degrees Fahrenheit of normal), allowing them to react to danger throughout the winter. True, or “deep”, hibernators are endotherms (warm-blooded animals) that become completely incapacitated by their metabolic changes and are therefore nearly impossible to wake up during the winter months. Do all animals hibernate the same way?Īs noted above, cave bats, groundhogs, and jumping mice are the only “true” hibernators in New York State. If they don’t have enough energy stored, they may never wake up at all, but the risk is well worth it. Once they wake up, the animals are weak and must recover quickly if they hope to survive. These animals can lose one-quarter of their overall weight during the winter, and their sleepy state can leave them susceptible to predation. This extraordinary evolutionary adaptation does not come without consequences. Come springtime, hibernators emerge to mate, have young, and recharge in a more hospitable environment. The groundhog, another “true” hibernator, will experience a heart rate drop from about 80 beats per minute to just 5. Just how slowly? One of New York State’s only “true” mammal hibernators, the little brown bat, may take a breath only once per hour. While resources are scarce, hibernation allows animals like bears, chipmunks, and bats to use their stored energy much more slowly. During hibernation, an animal’s body temperature, heart rate, breathing, and other metabolic activities slow down significantly in order to conserve energy.

Many species have evolved to deal with these hardships by avoiding them altogether.

3 ANIMALS THAT HIBERNATE IN WINTER SKIN

Food is hidden beneath the snow, water sources are frozen over, and frosty temperatures pierce through skin and fur. For non-migratory species, winter can be unforgiving. As winter approaches in New York, animals have two options: leave or deal with it.

3 animals that hibernate in winter